Page 97 of Deceit

“It’s not,” Asher, Liam and I say simultaneously, while Griggs says, “It is.”

We all shoot a look at him, at which he doesn’t even flinch. I turn back to her and shake my head.

“It’s complicated.”

“And you can’t uncomplicate it,” she guesses.

I nod in agreement, and she shakes her head.

“Okay, so what do I do? Who is doing this? It doesn’t seem so bad right now, they are acting like they are in love with me. Right, Vincent?”

He nods, pulling out his wallet and unfolding a piece of paper. He hands it to me and my eyes skim over it, stomach turning at the clear infatuation of the letter.

“I dusted for fingerprints. Couldn’t pull anything but hers. He also left…remnants on her panties,” he grits through clenched teeth before shaking his head. “She threw them into the pool, though and I wasn’t able to pull a viable DNA sample from it.”

Skyla looks at him like he has two heads as Asher and Liam read the letter in my hands.

“Dusted for fingerprints? DNA samples? Who are you?”

He doesn’t answer, looking to me for my response or reaction, maybe.

“What the fuck?” Asher grumbles under his breath. If he’s pissed about Liam and I…and apparently Griggs having a romantic interest in his fiancé, he will be downright furious if one ofthemhas an interest in her.

We’ve been trained to despise them from birth, literally. For over three-hundred-years. No matter how much he hates Skyla, he hates them more. We all do.

“You’re never to be alone again, one of us will be with you at all times,” I say, as I look at her before looking at the other guys.

“I can protect her,” Vincent argues.

I turn my narrowed eyes on him.

“I’m not risking her safety for your ego. You can’t be everywhere at once. You have…responsibilities,” I say, casting a wary look to Liam and Asher who look puzzled by that piece of information. Legacies don’t typically have dedicated positions within the Brethren until after graduation. Griggs is a special case, and that’s a fact that no one outside the Elders and himself know.

His jaw tenses several times, before he gives a terse nod.

“Agreed? Everyone takes a shift from now on.”

They all nod, even Asher.

“And then what?” she asks.

“And then…we wait for them to make a move,” I say, as I scratch the back of my head.

I hope we’re wrong. I hope it is just some punk kid fucking with her. I hope it’s as simple as someone having a crush and being too shy to come forward. Though, there is a sinking feeling in my stomach that screams otherwise.

Chapter Thirty Four

Vincent

The next night, I watch in fascination as she types away on her laptop, finishing up her assignment that is due tomorrow for her history class. I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, while she’s at her desk. The bottom left corner of her mouth is slightly pulled in, those beautiful white teeth holding that plump lip hostage. I want nothing more than to brush my thumb along that lip to free it from her hold and sink my own teeth into it. It takes everything in me not to.

Me, Ronan, Liam and even Asher have been using all of the resources at our disposal, quietly, to keep our ears to the ground. We don’t want to start asking the wrong questions to the wrong people, that would no doubt sign her death certificate faster than doing nothing.

Everyone knows that the Parris Princess has an expiration date on her head. They always do. Women rarely last in the inner circle, hence why, almost none of the Elders are still married. They get married out of tradition, have a kid or two, and then poof. They are gone.

Anger begins to burn beneath my skin as I think about that happening to my Siren. Fuck if I’ll let that happen. I’ll be there, ready and waiting. As soon as Putnam looks like he will even breathe on her wrong, Asher or his father really, I’ll fucking blow their brains out and take her away from all this.

I’ll no doubt have her two boyfriends to deal with in the fallout. That is, if they keep their interest in her after she’s married to Asher. I’d be shocked if they didn’t. They both seem quite taken with her, and in part, I can’t blame them. She’s fucking perfect. As long as they remember that, at the end of the day, it won’t be one of them holding her at night. It will be me.

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